‘I do think I can win,’ insists Humphreys during Cork visit

Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys has insisted she believes she can still win in Friday’s presidential election, despite trailing her rival, Independent Galway West TD Catherine Connolly, in opinion polls.

Last week’s Irish Times/Behaviour & Attitudes poll saw Ms Humphreys 18 points behind Ms Connolly.

The poll put Ms Connolly on 38%, Ms Humphreys on 20% and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin — who has withdrawn from the race but remains on the ballot — on 5%.

Some 18% of respondents said they were undecided voters, and 12% said they may not vote.

However, Ms Humphreys insisted today it was still all to play for, repeating her claim that she is a “centre ground, pro-European, pro-business, common-sense person”.

“I do think I can win, I sure do, because it’s a two-horse race and I’m asking people in the centre ground to come out and vote,” she told reporters on the South Mall during her final campaign-trail visit to Cork.

The former Fine Gael minister said she was heartened that “many prominent Fianna Fáil TDs and ministers” had said they would be voting for her, and she instanced Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher who have both indicated their intention to support her.

“I’m asking those Fianna Fáil supporters to please come out and lend me their vote,” she said. “For those people who want to vote number one for Jim Gavin, and I understand that, please give me the two.

“I’m very positive, I really am, there’s people from the Labour Party supporting me, from the Green Party supporting me, indeed, and Independents, so there’s a broad range of support there, and the most important thing is that people come out on Friday and exercise their vote. Because if you don’t vote, you’re allowing somebody else to speak for you and make decisions on your behalf.”

Campaigning with Ms Connolly in Co Monaghan today, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the Galway TD’s campaign had given people hope of a new beginning in Irish politics.

“Never ever has there been a time when we more need to see that Independent vote in the Áras,” Ms O’Neill said.

The Sinn Féin MLA added that Friday had to be the last Irish presidential election in which people from Northern Ireland were not permitted to vote.

Ms Connolly said that if she was elected, it would send “a very positive message” to the Government parties, that they should reflect on their approach to the election campaign.

“You can see it here today, you can see it everywhere,” she said.

“People are crying out for honesty, integrity, and a different vision of the country, and for a solution to our problems and to be a voice for peace in the world.”